This review shares the 'literature path' we followed in developing our ideas about how attachment theory can inform clinical work with abused children and adults. A short outline of the early work in the field 'How attachment theory can inform clinical work with abused children and adults' is followed by a description of research that is relevant to clinical work with children and families in the field of child abuse and child protection. We then focus on those concepts and findings from research we have found most relevant to our own work with victims of child sexual abuse, their parents and carers, and with adult survivors. In our experience, a parallel theme is the effect of working in this field on professionals' own attachment systems, and the necessity to be aware of the interplay between the individual professional's response, the role of the organization and the ability to make useful clinical interventions. This review therefore includes some material about professional attachment systems and caregiving.
This is the second of two linked papers which explores coherent and incoherent narratives emerging from Cleveland. It draws a parallel between the disrupted narratives of child and adult survivors of child sexual abuse and professional and societal narratives of Cleveland. The paper looks at the therapeutic task of individual repair using attachment-based therapy, illustrated by clinical examples. It identifies five key challenges relevant to repair in the interpersonal, intra-personal and societal domains.
This article explores ways of creating more secure internal attachment within complex dissociative systems characterised by multiple selves whose interactions can be problematic. Its focus is on building a supportive external and internal environment based on the five Cs: compassion, communication, co-operation, connection, and co-consciousness. A conceptual framework is outlined on the use of the five Cs at each stage of therapy. These concepts are recognised as in direct conflict with survival strategies based on the two Ds: disconnection and dissociation. Therapeutic issues presenting challenges for both client and therapist in pursuit of a changed state of mind and restructured internal relationships are considered.
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